About 20 million disposable diapers end up in landfills in the United States each year. These alone create an additional 3.5 million tons of waste while inviting unwanted pathogens into our environment. And it turns out, diapers take a supposed 500 years to biodegrade!
One way people are trying to combat these problems is by switching to cloth diapers. But making the move to cloth nappies makes the process of changing a baby more cumbersome. Is there a better alternative? Fortunately, parents of an infant can now continue to use disposable diapers without contributing to landfills.
A new diaper company called Dyper (pronounced like “diaper”) teamed up with TerraCycle, who has already been recycling and composting various items for a while, to come up with a diaper recycling program they named ReDyper.
Thanks to TerraCycle’s collaboration with the Dyper, Dyper sells biodegradable bamboo diapers that, when dirty, can be shipped back to the company to use for composting.
And moms and dads around the world are loving it, especially those who find it hard to compost where they live.
“We talked to many moms that wish that they had that opportunity to compost, because they’re living in New York City in an apartment on the 24th floor and they have no option to do that,” Content Manager, Taylor Shearer, of the company said.
Dyper even has a subscription service, so you can receive their green diapers right to your doorstep.
“It’s got to be super convenient. It’s got to be, frankly, as close to convenient as possible relative to throwing it out,” Tom Szaky, the CEO of TerraCycle, said.
Not only are the diapers compostable and convenient to purchase, but Dyper claims that their eco-friendly nappies are better for your baby. The diapers have no alcohol, perfumes, lotions, TBT, latex, antioxidants, chlorine, phthalates, PVC, or ink. The diapers independently tested to make sure they meet the highest international and domestic standards possible. They’re also super absorbent and are actually better on your wallet. (Surprise, I know.)
Right now, Dyper is charging $68 for 260 diapers with free shipping. Those in the military can receive 10% off each of their orders with the company. And if you’re still skeptical, you can spend $4 to get samples of the diapers shipped out to you. If you end up liking the diapers and purchasing them, you will be credited.
It does cost $39 to ship your dirty diapers back. However, this conveniently includes all the materials you need (e.g., boxes, labels, etc.) needed for shipping. Otherwise, you can take the diapers to a nearby composting facility or even use them in your own composting pile. Neat-o!
Find out more about the world’s first diaper composting program below. I think it’s a great idea!
